US.Departmentof Transportation Officeofthe Secretary ofTransportation



### The Honorable Matthew H. Mead

-- Governor, State ofWyoming State Capitol Cheyenne, WY 82002 Dear Governor Mead: 

## JUL 5

## 2012 1200 NewJersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590



### Thank you for your letter supporting the proposal submittedby the Casper/Natrona County International Airport for a grant under the U.S. Department ofTransportation's Small· Community Air Service Development Program. The Small Community Air Service Development Program was established to help smaller communities address air service deficiencies, particularly issues related to high airfares or insufficient service. Under the statute, the Department may make a maximum of40 grant awards each year, although no morethan4 awards may be to communities in the same State. Inorderto provide communities with latitUdein developing solutions to their air service deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the types ofprojects that can be funded. On May 15, the Departmentissued an orderrequesting that communities interested inreceiving a grant this year file their applications by June 11. As these grant requests are pendingbefore the Department, I cannot comment onthe merits ofany particularproposal. I assure you that the Department will give full and fair consideration to all proposals that have been properly filed. As is ournormal practice, I am placing a copy ofyour letter and this responseinDocket DOT-OST-2012-0069 as a contact outside the record ofthis matter. I appreciate your interest in this program. Sincerely yours,

# ~~ Aloha Ley Associate Director Small Community Program,),UTH<::W i-1. :'.lE:\0 :X:A ERNOR STATE CAPITOL CHEYENNE. WY \12002

June 

### 8, 2012



### Deliveredvia email: aloha.ley@dot.gov Aloha

### Ley Associate 

### Director U.S. Department ofTransportation 

### Small Community Program, 

### Order: 2012-5-8 Docket DOT-OST-2012-0069 1200 

### New Jersey Ave, SE Washington, DC 20590
Dear AssociateDirector Ley: I write you in support ofthe Casper/Natrona County International Airport's Small Community Air Service Development grant application. Ibelieve the Airport's grant request addresses all pertinent issues, including three important projects to which the grant funding 

### will be directedthe development ofa marketing plan, a promotional program to support existing and additional air service for-several markets (Casper/Denver,. Casper/Salt Lake City;· Casper/Las Vegas), and a promotional program to support air service for a new market (Casper/Phoenix). The city of Casper serves as Wyoming's geographic center and is a hub for energy industry, making air service to and from Casper vital. From a State perspective, air service is essential to support growth in Wyoming- both population growth and economic growth. It is essential to support ourmajor industries, for example, energy and tourism, and to support efforts for economic diversification. And, it is essential for those travelling for business or leisure to and from our state. Wyoming is very large

- the 1 

### O'h largest state by size, which makes air service especially important Wyoming's population grew 14.1% percent from 2000-2010, according to the last census, and we expect such growth to continue. We are working hard to continue on a path ofeconomic growth, development and diversification here. Wyoming continues to provide support for commercial airpot1s. We look forward to the opportunity to partner with the U.S. Department ofTransportation and the Casper community on

')

### Aloha Ley, Associate Director 

## · U.s. Depanl11entofTransportation .-,:Jtme 

### 8, 2012 Pagec2--

the 

### SmaJl CommunityAirService

### grantprogram, as wecontinue 

### to develop 

### and support 

### commercial airservice in 

### Wyoming. Sincerely,

# <----~-:**-~~/** MatthewH. 

### Mead 

### Governor 

## lVIHM:md

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